Every four years, a frequently asked question is when will India play in the greatest sports show on earth?the FIFA World Cup. Such queries reach a crescendo as the World Cup fever picks up in the country. It is not well known, but India was also invited to participate in the 1950 World Cup in Brazil. However, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) declined, as most Indian stars played barefoot and it was felt they would be out of depth if they had played with boots, as per FIFA rules. Years later, experts have questioned the validity of such a hasty decision. It is felt that if India, as a fledgling independent nation, had taken part in the 1950 World Cup, it would have given an impetus to the game in the country. It could have been a catalyst to hasten the onset of professionalism in Indian football (steps to make Indian clubs professional were instead taken 60 years later in 2010) and improve the status of the game in the country.

The prevailing impressions are that lack of finance is curtailing Indian football. This is an erroneous projection, as resource crunch is not a major factor. Lack of infrastructure, such as quality football stadiums and practice grounds, is a still an area of concern. But investments in football have increased rapidly.

Indian football is not languishing for lack of money. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) president, Praful Patel, got an Rs 12.5-crore grant from his NCP colleague, Sharad Pawar, who was earlier the president of the richest sports body in the Board of Control for cricket in India (BCCI). This grant is being used to provide centralised contracts for the national team players as they prepare for the 2011 Asia Cup finals rounds next year. In January 2010, the AIFF procured a three-year deal with multinational Panasonic for Rs 4.7 crore per year. The national team will wear a Panasonic logo and play about seven to eight international matches per year.

In 2005, the AIFF signed a 10-year, Rs 273-crore television deal with Zee Sports and a seven-year deal with Nike to supply the national team with apparel, footwear and equipment. The host broadcasters for Indian football since 2005 have, however, faltered in payment in the last few years. ONGC, the title sponsors of the national football league (now called I- League), paid the AIFF Rs 7.5 crore per annum since 2004. Sadly, this sponsorship deal is also in jeopardy.

There are also annual grants from FIFA, in the range of $250-$5,00,000, for development of the game. The annual budgets of leading clubs such as East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Dempo are in the range of Rs 7 to 8 crore. This is a massive jump from the budget of Rs 2 to 3.5 crore, which was the norm till about six years ago. Increasing budgets and limited returns are causing concern to the corporate houses supporting football. Burgeoning budgets, limited media exposure and fan following were the real reasons for Mahindra United?s football team being disbanded. Expenses have now tripled and returns are diminishing. A lurking danger is that this closure may have a domino effect and other corporate houses may also shut down their football teams. JCT, Salgaocar, Air India and newcomers Mumbai FC and Viva Kerala are expressing concern about mounting expenses and poor visibility of the I-League.

However, some Indian club are bucking this trend and paying huge sums to buy quality players. Churchill Brothers, the I-League champions in 2009, retained the services of their top-scorer, Odafe Onyeka Okolie, by paying him a whopping Rs 1.25 crore for the next season. An ambitious club, Churchill Brothers has just signed India?s most promising striker, Mohammed Rafi, for the next two seasons for about Rs 1 crore. India?s most accomplished defender, Mahesh Gawli, signed a three-year contract with Dempo Sports Club, Goa worth Rs 1 crore.

For the past three years, Mohun Bagan?s Brazilian striker Jose Ramirez Baretto has been getting a over Rs 50 lakh per annum.

India?s captain Baichung Bhutia also commands a similar high sum as his annual fee. Sunil Chettri (now playing in USA for Kansas City Wizards) got Rs 42 lakh per annum from East Bengal for the 2008-09 season.

In 1977, Shyam Thapa became the first Indian player to get Rs 50,000 for the season, when he quit East Bengal to join Mohun Bagan. Passion for the game was intense in the Seventies, but payments were paltry. Former international midfielder Prasanto Banerjee got just Rs 5,000 for the season on signing for East Bengal in 1976. In 1987, East Bengal paid the robust Nigerian striker Chima Okorie Rs 3 lakh to lure him from Mohammedan Sporting. Prices for Indian footballers have spiraled upwards, but it has not led to a corresponding increase in playing standards or entertainment value. It seems the paucity of talent available has led to a massive demand for the few quality players biennially released by TFA.

This season, East Bengal did not record a win in 13 matches, the most disastrous sequence of results in this illustrious club?s history. So obviously, club officials have revamped the squad and signed five TFA cadets who graduated in March 2010. Besides Robin, they signed defender Raju Gaikwad (Rs 40 lakh), midfielders Subodh Kumar (Rs 35 lakh), Abhishek Das and O Milan Singh (both Rs 27 lakh each). Overall, they have spend Rs 1.79 crore on five TFA cadets. Mumbai FC brought six players spending Rs 92 lakh. Salgaocar (Goa) roped in three players for Rs 61 lakh. Mohun Bagan spent Rs 45 lakh on just two players?highly rated striker Jagtaar Singh and defender Hardeep Singh. Pune FC and JCT have also acquired TFA players. Thus, 18 TFA cadets have been signed up by six I-League clubs, for an estimated Rs 4 crore.

So, it is not money, but other factors that have led to Indian football stagnating and not being able to compete with the best in Asia.

Afternoon matches, lack of decent amenities in stadiums and inadequate marketing of matches has led to a decline in spectator attendance. In the second I-League, the average attendance was just about 4,000 per match.

None of the India clubs own their own stadiums or have easy access to modern gymnasiums. Even established clubs like Mohun Bagan and East Bengal lease their grounds at the Calcutta Maidan from the Indian Amy. The major factor is that unlike cricket, football has not been marketed efficiently. Thus, instead of growing popularity, football in India is confined to a few states?Bengal, Goa, Kerala, the North-Eastern states and small areas in Mumbai and Delhi. Traditionally strong areas of football such as Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai have declined due to inefficient management by the state associations and vote bank politics of the AIFF.

Another paradox of Indian football is underachievement at the international level. From 1951 to 1962, India were amongst the best in Asia, winning the Asian Games gold medal twice in 1951 at Delhi and 1962 at Jakarta. It were also runners-up in the prestigious Merdeka football tournament at Kuala Lumpur, twice in 1959 and 1964 and runners-up in the Asia Cup at Israel in 1964. During this time span, India finished fourth in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. India was the first Asian nation to reach the Olympic football semi-final. In 1956, India beat Australia 4-2 in the quarter-finals and centre forward Neville D?Souza became the first and so far the only Asian to score a hattrick in the Olympics.

However, since Bob Houghton took over as National coach in the summer of 2006, the national team has achieved success, winning the Nehru Cup in Delhi in 2007 and 2009 and the AFC Challenge Cup in Hyderabad and Delhi in 2008, which enabled India to qualify for the 2011 Asia Cup final rounds after 27 years. But these victories were mostly against second tier Asian nations. Still, these successes have given the national football team an identity and image, which it lacked earlier. Houghton has ensured that the players get the best training facilities. Camps have been held in Barcelona, Portugal and Abu Dhabi. The professional approach has ensured that the confidence level of the Indian team has improved rapidly. But the real test of India?s improvement will come in group matches against Australia, South Korea and Bahrain in the Asia Cup finals in Doha, Qatar, in January 2011.

Arbitrary selection, inadequate fitness levels, insufficient international exposure and scant attention to age-group teams have been the bane of Indian football since independence. Countries such as USA, Saudi Arabia and South Korea play about 25 international matches per year. India barely plays ten.

To promote game at the grassroots, the AIFF has instructed all the I-League clubs to start a youth development programme but only lip-service is paid to such projects. As per Asian Football Confederation guidelines, all Indian clubs must get fully professional by the 2011-12 season, but it is doubtful if the Indian clubs can start owning their own stadiums within two years. A national football academy is also on the anvil. Professional management, better marketing, greater attention to the National team and broadbasing the game in different states are required for Indian football to have a brighter future in the 21st century.

The writer is a football commentator and sports writer